


Grumpy Genius

by theresalwaysaway



Series: Ficlets for All [4]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Engineering, F/M, Ficlet, grumpy!fitz, post 04x02
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-12
Updated: 2016-10-12
Packaged: 2018-08-22 00:14:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8265610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theresalwaysaway/pseuds/theresalwaysaway
Summary: While Fitz grumps his way to an engineering solution, Jemma is there with suggestions and eventual heart-eyes.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [100 Drabbles](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7200368) by [memorizingthedigitsofpi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/memorizingthedigitsofpi/pseuds/memorizingthedigitsofpi). 



> This ficlet was inspired by Drabble #11 _Inspired_. In that fic, Jemma inspires grumpy!Fitz to solve a problem. Mine picks up post 04x02.

Jemma scrolled through the test results waiting for direction from Fitz. He was a genius, but sometimes he couldn’t figure it out--right away. _But he will._ It was inevitable and when he does find the problem and fix it, she will be there to witness it and congratulate him, to appreciate him and his genius. Perhaps there will be kissing. A smile crossed her lips. _Don’t count your chickens yet, Jemma._

“Come on,” Fitz barked at his monitor. “What the…why won’t you work?”

“Something we’re assuming to be true is not true.” Jemma scrunched up her face and squeezed her eyes shut. “Sorry! No clichés. I forgot!” She tried not to giggle as Fitz glared at her. She was getting punchy with the lateness of the hour.

The mini-trackers still had some _issues_ they were trying to work out before the big presentation in the morning. “Watch.” Fitz placed a dime-sized sticker on his hand and made his way out of the lab and down the hall.

He called out, “Once you get over a hundred feet…”

She could clearly see on the monitor that the signal had been lost. “We should isolate--”

“--whether it is a sending or a receiving problem, of course.” He strode back to his seat with purpose. “Here. Let me show you,” frustration evident in his voice. He began to explain, when he checked himself. “Oh, the parameters….” His voice trailed off.

“Maybe they are supposed to be strings?” she advanced, her words barely a whisper.

“Yes. I’ll try that.”

When that didn’t work, there was more muttering from Fitz. “I think that will work.”

Still nothing. Jemma cautiously suggested, “Sometimes you have to change the configuration settings. Did you check --”

“Yes, I checked the privileges!” That was the problem last week and Fitz didn’t like the reminder. “And the config...ur...ation.” His voice slowed as his mind had clearly gone in a new direction. 

A few adjustments here, a minor tweak there; Fitz had renewed energy. “I think I got it.” He unconsciously scratched at his scruff. “It’s done. Want to take a look?” 

He proudly pointed out the improvements, evidenced by the appearance of many more dots on the display: mini-trackers now transmitting their location, most of the signals emanating from the medical supply room.

“What was it that finally worked?” she asked. 

“You said to check the configuration settings, but that reminded me to check the hand-held controller settings. I don’t know why but they had somehow reset to system defaults.” She caught what he was saying, but all she could concentrate on was how handsome he was when he was brilliant. She fell for him again every single time.

“You’re very attractive when you are performing quality assurance.” Jemma had sidled right up to Fitz invading his personal space in a decidedly non-professional manner, their fingers making contact first.

Fitz brought her hand up to his lips. “It’s all about pleasing the customer.”

“May I be a customer?”

“I don’t see anyone else in line.” He gave her a thank-you-for-inspiring-me kiss. She returned with a thank-you-for-being-brilliant-kiss that lasted quite awhile, because, well, he was pretty brilliant.


End file.
